Graduation 2008 - Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar
Graduation 2008 - Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar
Graduation 2008 - Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar
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<strong>Graduation</strong> <strong>2008</strong>Inaugural class makes historySummer/Fall <strong>2008</strong>
Volume 2, Number 7Daniel R. Alonso, MDDeanHavva S. IdrissVice Dean for Adm<strong>in</strong>istrationPublished by The Office ofPublic Affairs, WCMC-QEducation CityP.O. Box 24144Doha, <strong>Qatar</strong>Email: miv<strong>2008</strong>@qatar-med.cornell.eduMichael VertigansDirector of Public AffairsArticles by Sylvia Ismail,with additional report<strong>in</strong>g byLauren Gold and Autumn Watts, MFA.David CarlsonDesign & ProductionMart<strong>in</strong> MarionPhotographyAdditional images from:<strong>Weill</strong> <strong>Cornell</strong> Art & Photography;Maher Attar, (Office of Her HighnessSheikha Mozah); Tony Terrot; Richard LobellPhotography; <strong>Qatar</strong> Foundation;Hameed Mather; Dr. Mohamud VerjeeOn the cover: President Skorton confersthe <strong>Cornell</strong> University M.D. degree onIbrahim Sultan.At right: Where cultures connect –The Coffee House held <strong>in</strong> March broughttogether student and faculty performances<strong>in</strong> both song and dance with proceedsgo<strong>in</strong>g to charity.www.qatar-med.cornell.edu
Highlights of this issue66WCMC-Q’s Inaugural Class graduated <strong>in</strong>May, with ceremonies <strong>in</strong> Doha followed byCommencement <strong>in</strong> Carnegie Hall, New York– a historic moment for <strong>Cornell</strong> University, for<strong>Qatar</strong> and for global medical education.14Spectacular match: As they heard abouttheir remarkable success <strong>in</strong> obta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>gresidency tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g posts, the Class of <strong>2008</strong>had lots to celebrate.19From ancient Egyptian medic<strong>in</strong>e to JamesJoyce’s Dubl<strong>in</strong>, English faculty ranged far andwide <strong>in</strong> April’s Literary Lectures series.2020In a series of <strong>in</strong>itiatives, WCMC-Q recentlyredoubled its effort to reach out to thecommunity, with local high schools thefocus of its activities.22As <strong>Qatar</strong> Foundation announced theconstruction of new student residencecomplexes <strong>in</strong> Education City, <strong>Qatar</strong> Chronicletook a peek at the plans to discover the shapeof th<strong>in</strong>gs to come.<strong>Weill</strong> <strong>Cornell</strong> <strong>Medical</strong> <strong>College</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Qatar</strong> was jo<strong>in</strong>tly established bythe <strong>Qatar</strong> Foundation for Education, Science and Community Developmentand <strong>Cornell</strong> UniversitySummer/Fall <strong>2008</strong> 1
News from WCMC-QGreat teachers” and “humble experts”:Students vote <strong>in</strong> Faculty AwardsDr. Syed Naqi, professor ofmicrobiology and immunologyteach<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> both thePre-medical and <strong>Medical</strong> Programs,carried off two awards at the <strong>2008</strong>Annual Faculty Teach<strong>in</strong>g AwardsCeremony, May 15.“The nicest, most approachableperson on campus,” said one student’stestimonial. “A great teacher who canstimulate my <strong>in</strong>terest even on a Thursdayafternoon,” said another.Altogether, 18 faculty members wererecognized for their contribution to thelearn<strong>in</strong>g experience of WCMC-Q’s students,from the Foundation Program tothe Cl<strong>in</strong>ical Clerkships <strong>in</strong> the third andfourth years of the <strong>Medical</strong> Program.In addition, both Dr. EstomihMtui, associate professor of cl<strong>in</strong>icalanatomy <strong>in</strong> neurology andneuroscience, and Dr. MarkPochap<strong>in</strong>, associate professorof cl<strong>in</strong>ical medic<strong>in</strong>e, won theawards for visit<strong>in</strong>g facultyfor the second year runn<strong>in</strong>g.They were presented withtheir certificates at a similarceremony for faculty of <strong>Weill</strong><strong>Cornell</strong> <strong>in</strong> New York, heldJune 12.This is the second year thatWCMC-Q has organized theceremony. Now, there are plansto keep a record of the awards <strong>in</strong> theTeach<strong>in</strong>g Hall of Fame to be establishedat the <strong>Medical</strong> <strong>College</strong>.In new developments this year,student votes were collected by emailballot and the participants were <strong>in</strong>vitedto submit comments <strong>in</strong> supportof their vote.A selection of messages was displayedon-screen dur<strong>in</strong>g the event.Many paid tribute to faculty’s dedication,expertise, and will<strong>in</strong>gness to“In half a semester, he <strong>in</strong>troduced, taught and made us all love immunology,” said onepre-med of Dr. Syed Naqi (right), seen receiv<strong>in</strong>g his certificate from Dean Alonso.Dr. Kev<strong>in</strong> Smith, associate professor of chemistry,was recognized as “a father and professor.”provide support and reassurance.“You can learn a lot from simplytalk<strong>in</strong>g to him,” said one student ofDr. Mohamud Verjee, assistant professorof family medic<strong>in</strong>e and CourseDirector for MPS II. “Very reassur<strong>in</strong>gand pro-students,” stated another.And of Dr. Marco Ameduri, seniorlecturer <strong>in</strong> physics and Assistant Deanfor Pre-medical Education, a pre-medwrote: “Best teacher and personality…Simplya humble expert.”Full list of awards:Foundation Program:Dr. Imad MakkiDr. Renee RicherPre-medical Program:Dr. Marco AmeduriDr. Syed NaqiDr. Rodney SharkeyDr. Kev<strong>in</strong> Smith<strong>Medical</strong> Program – basic sciences:Dr. Gerardo GuiterDr. Lars Hed<strong>in</strong>Dr. Khaled MachacaDr. Syed NaqiDr. Leopold Streletz<strong>Medical</strong> Program – cl<strong>in</strong>ical:Dr. Ziad KronfolDr. Rav<strong>in</strong>der MamtaniDr. Nady MohamedDr. Bakr NourDr. Mohamud VerjeeVisit<strong>in</strong>g faculty:Dr. Estomih MtuiDr. Mark Pochap<strong>in</strong>2 <strong>Qatar</strong> Chronicle
News from WCMC-QDr. Javaid I. Sheikh appo<strong>in</strong>ted Deputy DeanDr. Javaid I. Sheikh was appo<strong>in</strong>tedto the newly createdposition of Deputy Dean ofWCMC-Q <strong>in</strong> May.Tenured professor of psychiatryand Vice Chair of the Department ofPsychiatry at <strong>Weill</strong> <strong>Cornell</strong> <strong>Medical</strong><strong>College</strong> and Vice Dean for Research atWCMC-Q, Dr. Sheikh’s duties now <strong>in</strong>cludestepp<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> on behalf of the Deanof the <strong>Medical</strong> <strong>College</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Qatar</strong>, as requested,<strong>in</strong> addition to oversee<strong>in</strong>g boththe research and cl<strong>in</strong>ical missions.As visit<strong>in</strong>g professor and specialconsultant, Dr. Sheikh contributed tothe development of WCMC-Q on apart-time basis from early 2006. HeDr. Javaid I. Sheikh, the first Deputy Dean ofWCMC-Q.jo<strong>in</strong>ed the adm<strong>in</strong>istration full-time <strong>in</strong>April 2007 as Vice Dean for Research,and has spearheaded the efforts to<strong>in</strong>itiate development of the research<strong>in</strong>frastructure and recruitment ofworld-class researchers, as well asbuild<strong>in</strong>g relations with local partners<strong>in</strong> research.Before com<strong>in</strong>g to WCMC-Q, Dr.Sheikh had a dist<strong>in</strong>guished career <strong>in</strong>cl<strong>in</strong>ical care, research, teach<strong>in</strong>g andmedical adm<strong>in</strong>istration at StanfordUniversity School of Medic<strong>in</strong>e, wherehe was professor of psychiatry andbehavioral sciences, and chief of themedical staff at the Stanford-affiliatedVA Palo Alto Health Care System.Students become published authorsFoundation students achieved amajor success with the publication<strong>in</strong> May of <strong>Qatar</strong> Narratives, adual-language anthology of essays bywomen liv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>Qatar</strong> that <strong>in</strong>cludescontributions from five of the class.Essays by Nadya Al Awa<strong>in</strong>ati,Sara Al Khawaga, Aljazy Al Maraghi,Kholoud Saleh and Zahra Makki wereselected, along with others written byfirst-year pre-med Khawla Ali and lecturer<strong>in</strong> English Autumn Watts.Funded by the U.S. State Department’sMiddle East PartnershipInitiative (MEPI), the book comprisesthe w<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g entries <strong>in</strong> a competition,<strong>Qatar</strong> Narratives: Women Write, whichfollowed a writ<strong>in</strong>g workshop seriesled at <strong>Qatar</strong> University by visit<strong>in</strong>gwriter Carol Henderson and projectcoord<strong>in</strong>ator, Mohana Rajkumar.The students covered a widediversity of subject matter, from obesityto the tension between traditionand modernity <strong>in</strong> <strong>Qatar</strong>.Assistant professor of English, Dr.Mar<strong>in</strong>a Dodigovic, who coached thefoundation students <strong>in</strong> preparation forthe contest, said there had been “a tremendoussurge of creativity” amongthem. “It’s important not just for theirprofessional education, but for theirgeneral education – broaden<strong>in</strong>g theirviews, expos<strong>in</strong>g them to new th<strong>in</strong>gs.”Al Khawaga, who read an excerptfrom her essay at the launch, found thecompetition liberat<strong>in</strong>g: “It <strong>in</strong>spired meto write more creatively and come upwith new ideas. I feel proud and happyto know my writ<strong>in</strong>g was accepted.”While the essays were written <strong>in</strong>English, the contributors had thenovel experience of hav<strong>in</strong>g their worktranslated <strong>in</strong>to Arabic. “I’ve neverhad my work translated before,” saidWatts. “As I can’t read the translation,I don’t know what’s ga<strong>in</strong>ed, what’slost, how it has been changed. It’s an<strong>in</strong>centive to learn…”With additional report<strong>in</strong>gby Autumn Watts.“It <strong>in</strong>spired me to write morecreatively and come up withnew ideas. I feel proud andhappy to know my writ<strong>in</strong>gwas accepted.”— Sara Al KhawagaSummer/Fall <strong>2008</strong> 3
News from WCMC-QBuild<strong>in</strong>g strong foundations“A marvelous group of young men and women” – the foundation class celebrate completion of the year with Dean Alonso (at front,center right), Dr. Maya Hammoud (left), Dr. Imad Makki (right) and faculty.With the majority of studentsalready admitted<strong>in</strong>to the Pre-medical Program,there was a heady sense ofachievement and excitement <strong>in</strong> theair at the Foundation Program CompletionCeremony, May 1.The foundation class – 18-strongand predom<strong>in</strong>antly <strong>Qatar</strong>i – receivedcertificates of completion,and went on to thank the faculty, aswell as leaders of the program and<strong>Medical</strong> <strong>College</strong>.Describ<strong>in</strong>g them as “a marvelousgroup of young men and women,”Dean Alonso commended their hardwork and commitment to life outsidethe classroom, from environmentalaction to cultural activities.Senior lecturer <strong>in</strong> physics andprogram Director, Dr. Imad Makki,was all praise for the class. “Theyare very talented and energetic,and they are extremely committed.Somehow, through all the hardwork, they have managed to havea good time and enjoy themselves,”he said afterwards.“They are very talented and energetic, and they are extremelycommitted. Somehow, through all the hard work, they havemanaged to have a good time and enjoy themselves.”— Dr. Imad Makki, Foundation Program DirectorBesides tak<strong>in</strong>g courses <strong>in</strong> thesciences, math and English, the studentsworked hard dur<strong>in</strong>g the yearto perfect their study, test tak<strong>in</strong>g and<strong>in</strong>terview skills. They were encouragedto move away from memoriz<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>formation and to build their criticalth<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g abilities – while also learn<strong>in</strong>gto tackle science at the bench andwrite up laboratory reports.Steadily strengthen<strong>in</strong>g theirlanguage skills, several studentsachieved success <strong>in</strong> debat<strong>in</strong>g andwrit<strong>in</strong>g outside the classroom.They jo<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong> regular debates withcolleagues <strong>in</strong> Education City’s AcademicBridge Program, and no fewerthan five had essays published <strong>in</strong> ananthology (see: Students become publishedauthors page 3).In addition, career sem<strong>in</strong>ars bymedical faculty and visits to HamadHospital <strong>in</strong>troduced them to the realityof the profession.“Many people have an idea ofwhat they might specialize <strong>in</strong>, fromthe sem<strong>in</strong>ars,” Amna Al Khuzaeisaid. “At the hospital, we visited departments,met doctors and saw howthey manage their lives, comb<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>gtheir busy schedules with be<strong>in</strong>gparents, for example. This gave us apicture of ourselves <strong>in</strong> the future.”The next step for the students wasa six-week <strong>in</strong>tensive at the Summer<strong>College</strong> on <strong>Cornell</strong>’s Ithaca campus,before return<strong>in</strong>g to WCMC-Q forpre-med studies. Al Khuzaei wasupbeat: “The best part is that we areprepared. At this po<strong>in</strong>t, we knowthe pre-med faculty, so we know thepeople who’ll teach us,” she said.4 <strong>Qatar</strong> Chronicle
Pre-meds mark completion of programClass is “a very diverse family”Dr. Alonso congratulates Mouayyad Zaza of the Class of 2012News from WCMC-QDr. Michael Johnson congratulates Ze<strong>in</strong>ab Sultan on completion of the Pre-medical Program,with Dean Alonso (center).The class of 2012 marked the endof their pre-medical education<strong>in</strong> notably festive mood just afew days after WCMC-Q’s <strong>in</strong>auguralgraduation celebrations.Along with certificates of completionfor the 35 students, and plaquesfor faculty and leaders <strong>in</strong> recognitionof their contributions, there weretributes to former Associate Dean forPre-medical Education, Dr. DavidRobertshaw, who retired at the end ofthe academic year.“I’d like to formally congratulateand thank him for the many contributionshe has made to the program,and to the life of the medical school<strong>in</strong> general,” Dean Alonso said dur<strong>in</strong>gthe completion ceremony, May 14.Dr. Alonso outl<strong>in</strong>ed the developmentof the <strong>Medical</strong> <strong>College</strong> to date,and looked ahead to the future academicmedical center <strong>in</strong> EducationCity, to be formed by an affiliationbetween WCMC-Q and <strong>Qatar</strong> Foundation’sSidra <strong>Medical</strong> and ResearchCenter. “You have much to look forwardto,” he told the students.Senior Associate Dean for Education,Dr. Maya Hammoud, rem<strong>in</strong>dedthe class that she had also jo<strong>in</strong>ed the<strong>Medical</strong> <strong>College</strong> <strong>in</strong> 2006. “We startedtogether – I <strong>in</strong>terviewed just as youdid…and we all learned along theway,” she quipped. “I watched yougrow: Your class has character.”The best part of the pre-medexperience, Dwaa Osman said afterwards,was “the maturity level thatwe’ve reached here. We came as highschool kids and I’ve achieved th<strong>in</strong>gsI never thought I would.”Bassem Zaki added: “Communicat<strong>in</strong>gwith different cultures,meet<strong>in</strong>g different types of people andmak<strong>in</strong>g new, close friends…that’swhat helped us come through.”Professor of physics, Dr. Roger H<strong>in</strong>richs,who retired from WCMC-Q <strong>in</strong>June, said he felt particularly close tothe class. “They mean a lot to me – theyare very good academically, but theyare also a very diverse family, from alot of different backgrounds. I th<strong>in</strong>kthey’ve come to realize they are a team,each one with different strengths.”This was also the message of studentspeaker Petro Kostandy. Thega<strong>in</strong>s <strong>in</strong> knowledge and skills wereto be expected, he told the assembly;it was the other ga<strong>in</strong>s, of personalgrowth and “k<strong>in</strong>ship,” that made theexperience special.Summer/Fall <strong>2008</strong> 5
Inaugural Classmakes historyThey entered the Ritz-Carlton Doha as medical students, and they left asdoctors. The 15 young men and women of the Class of <strong>2008</strong> were welcomed<strong>in</strong>to the <strong>Weill</strong> <strong>Cornell</strong> <strong>Medical</strong> <strong>College</strong> family, May 8 – a historic day forthe State of <strong>Qatar</strong>, for <strong>Cornell</strong> University and for medical education.The first graduates to receive the MD degree of an American University outsidethe United States, they are pioneers of medical education <strong>in</strong> <strong>Qatar</strong>.6 <strong>Qatar</strong> Chronicle
Her Highness Sheikha Mozah B<strong>in</strong>t Nasser Al Missned with the Class of <strong>2008</strong>, the first physicians ever to graduate from a <strong>Medical</strong><strong>College</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Qatar</strong> and the first to receive the M.D. degree of <strong>Cornell</strong> University outside of the United States.“Your Highness Sheikha Mozah B<strong>in</strong>t Nasser. On thisoccasion, I offer my gratitude to Your Highness, and toHis Highness, Sheikh Hamad b<strong>in</strong> Khalifa Al-Thani, andto the people of <strong>Qatar</strong>, and I congratulate the graduateson this special day.”With these words delivered <strong>in</strong> Arabic, <strong>Cornell</strong> President,Dr. David J. Skorton, delighted the assembly.Dr. Skorton congratulated the graduates, highlightedtheir achievements and reflected on his first meet<strong>in</strong>g withthem. He charged them to cont<strong>in</strong>ue to have the courage tolead the way throughout their careers and to risk break<strong>in</strong>gnew ground for the greater and personal good.And he urged them to act as “true partners” with theirpatients. “Accept your responsibility as physicians… alwaysto comfort, always to empathize with the patient and thefamily, always to rema<strong>in</strong> humble and grateful,” he said.The graduation ceremony took place <strong>in</strong> the presence ofleaders of <strong>Cornell</strong> University and <strong>Weill</strong> <strong>Cornell</strong> <strong>in</strong> NewYork, <strong>Qatar</strong> Foundation, the National Health Authorityand Hamad <strong>Medical</strong> Corporation.Guest of honor, Her Highness Sheikha Mozah, jo<strong>in</strong>edthe leadership on the dais. As the ceremony came to aclose, Dean of the <strong>Medical</strong> <strong>College</strong> <strong>in</strong> New York, Dr. AntonioGotto, and two graduates, presented her with aproclamation from <strong>Cornell</strong> University <strong>in</strong> appreciation ofher support, and with a doctor’s white coat and bag.Family, friends and WCMC-Q med and pre-med studentsjo<strong>in</strong>ed the throng <strong>in</strong> the Wosail Ballroom to applaudand cheer – almost rais<strong>in</strong>g the roof as the newly m<strong>in</strong>teddoctors recessed out at the close of the ceremony.Summer/Fall <strong>2008</strong> 7
Senior Honors Convocation:achievements, contributions recognizedSharon K<strong>in</strong>g and Rana Biarycollected a total of tenawards for academic andcl<strong>in</strong>ical excellence at the Senior HonorsConvocation, May 7, while JehanAl Rayahi was recognized for herleadership and her dedication to communityservice.Seven members of the WCMC-Qfaculty were recognized for excellence<strong>in</strong> teach<strong>in</strong>g (see photograph), aswere Dr. Estomih Mtui and Dr. MarkPochap<strong>in</strong> of <strong>Weill</strong> <strong>Cornell</strong> <strong>in</strong> NewYork, and Dr. Abdallah Khairi andDr. Mohamed Asif of Hamad <strong>Medical</strong>Corporation (HMC).In special presentationsto president Skorton andDean Alonso, Chairpersonof HMC’s Board Dr. LatifaAl Houty thanked them for“Partner, friend and dearcolleague” – Dr. Latifa Al Houty,Chairperson of HMC Board ofDirectors, presents Dean Alonsowith a gift <strong>in</strong> recognition of hiscontribution to build<strong>in</strong>g thepartnership between the two<strong>in</strong>stitutions.Dr. Maya Hammoud (left) and Dean Alonso (right) with facultymembers selected for the Senior List, Drs. Nounou Taleghani,Nady Mohamed, Mohamud Verjee, Nithila Isaac and Bakr Nour.their support <strong>in</strong> build<strong>in</strong>g the partnership between the two<strong>in</strong>stitutions, and presented them with gifts to mark “thisgreat and historic moment.”The venue at the Diplomatic Club also echoed withlaughter, as the audience enjoyed Al Rayahi’s tongue-<strong>in</strong>cheekvideo tribute to her colleagues – highlight<strong>in</strong>g theirfoibles as well as their talents, with <strong>in</strong>put from facultymembers. To end the event, president of the <strong>Weill</strong> <strong>Cornell</strong>Alumni Association, Dr. Gene Resnick ’74, welcomed theClass of <strong>2008</strong> to the fold.For a full list of awards, visit www.qatar-med.cornell.eduIn brief…“I met these young people six years ago, right when they werestart<strong>in</strong>g. I remember tell<strong>in</strong>g them the future was <strong>in</strong> theirhands: If they did well, it would be so much easier for futuregenerations. That holds true today” – Sanford I. <strong>Weill</strong>“Not only do we have a class of wonderful, newly m<strong>in</strong>ted M.Ds.as of this week, but the results of the Match were spectacularlypositive” – President Skorton“There’s a great sense of accomplishment…We can say we haveset a very strong pillar <strong>in</strong> education” – Dean Alonso“They have been more than students: They are friends, colleagues,sibl<strong>in</strong>gs of m<strong>in</strong>e” – Dr. Nounou Taleghani“We are very proud of what they’ve accomplished. They are terrificyoung men and women, and they are very motivated”– Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi“You are poised to make a great difference to global medicaleducation” – Dean Gotto to WCMC-Q’s first M.Ds.“I am proud to tell you that I chose to stay right here <strong>in</strong> <strong>Qatar</strong>,my home country, with my family and friends… I am alsoproud to say that most of my colleagues expressed theirdesire to return to <strong>Qatar</strong>”– Jehan Al Rayahi ’08,<strong>in</strong> her Commencement speech“The biggest adventure was start<strong>in</strong>g as a member of a new classthat didn’t have any classes ahead of it – and see<strong>in</strong>g howsuccessful it would be” – Subhi Al Aref ’08“I’ve discovered I’m much stronger than I thought I was”– Rana Biary ’08“I have 15 great classmates and colleagues who I’ll befriends with for life – that’s what’s so special”– Ayobami Omosola ’088 <strong>Qatar</strong> Chronicle
Gett<strong>in</strong>g together to celebrate: (l to r) Aisha Yousuf, Rana Biary,Ayobami Omosola, Jehan Al Rayahi, Sharon K<strong>in</strong>g and Vildana Omerovic.“It was an honor tobe asked to do this”– Dr. Nounou Taleghaniputs the hood onJehan Al Rayahi.As the ceremony comes to a close, Her Highness Sheikha Mozah dons thedoctor’s white coat and carries the bag presented to her by the Class of <strong>2008</strong>.Wait<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the w<strong>in</strong>gs – members of the Class of ’08wait<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> anticipation as their names are roll calledto collect their M.D. degrees.Dr. Maya HammoudcongratulatesKhalid Al Khelaifi.Joan and Sanford I. <strong>Weill</strong>Summer/Fall <strong>2008</strong> 9
President Skorton:Courageous visionand tenacity havebrought success“Promot<strong>in</strong>g understand<strong>in</strong>g, build<strong>in</strong>g human capacity: WCMC-Q isan exemplar of <strong>Cornell</strong> University’s effort to reach out overseasand fulfil its role as the “land-grant university to the world,”said Dr. Skorton.In terms of cultural <strong>in</strong>terchange, I th<strong>in</strong>k higher educationis one of the great diplomatic assets that the developedand develop<strong>in</strong>g worlds can share <strong>in</strong> common.”For <strong>Cornell</strong>’s president, Dr. David J. Skorton, WCMC-Qis an exemplar of how the University is promot<strong>in</strong>g understand<strong>in</strong>gand build<strong>in</strong>g human capacity <strong>in</strong> a country farfrom the home campus.The Class of <strong>2008</strong> – with 15 students from seven countries– were “mak<strong>in</strong>g a positive statement about <strong>in</strong>tercultural understand<strong>in</strong>gthat is fitt<strong>in</strong>g with <strong>Cornell</strong> tradition,” he added.As a land-grant <strong>in</strong>stitution, <strong>Cornell</strong> was tasked withpromot<strong>in</strong>g education <strong>in</strong> the practical arts from its foundation<strong>in</strong> 1865. “<strong>Cornell</strong>ians have chosen to <strong>in</strong>terpret theeducational and research mission (of the Morrill Act) morebroadly, as <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g direct action to improve the lives ofpeople overseas. In that sense, I do believe <strong>Cornell</strong> is theland-grant university to the world and this is a fabulous,<strong>in</strong>novative twist on that theme,” Dr. Skorton expla<strong>in</strong>ed.Beh<strong>in</strong>d this successful transplantation of an Americanmedical education to another country and another culture,the product of a groundbreak<strong>in</strong>g partnership between<strong>Cornell</strong> University and <strong>Qatar</strong> Foundation, lie extraord<strong>in</strong>aryvision and a “long list of heroes,” he said.Dr. Skorton paid tribute to the leaders of <strong>Weill</strong> <strong>Cornell</strong><strong>Medical</strong> <strong>College</strong> <strong>in</strong> New York and <strong>Qatar</strong>; His Highness theEmir and Her Highness Sheikha Mozah; and <strong>Qatar</strong> Foundation’spresident, Dr. Mohammad Fathy Saoud, and vicepresident for education, Dr. Abdullah Al-Thani.“Their vision was first of all courageous and very forward-look<strong>in</strong>g;secondly, they had the tenacity to see theproject through,” he said.He also thanked faculty and staff of WCMC-Q for theircontributions, and expressed great admiration for the pioneer<strong>in</strong>gstudents who took a risk back <strong>in</strong> 2002 by enroll<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong> a new and as yet unproven medical school.“More than anyth<strong>in</strong>g, I want to salute the students whohad the courage to apply and stay with someth<strong>in</strong>g eventhough there was no path trod before they went through it.”Look<strong>in</strong>g ahead, he said the University would cont<strong>in</strong>ueto promote a vibrant culture of biomedical research <strong>in</strong> <strong>Qatar</strong>along with a habit of conduct<strong>in</strong>g research for its ownsake – key build<strong>in</strong>g blocks of a strong academic medicalcenter and health care system for the long term.Essential to this effort is the partnership between WCMC-Q, <strong>Qatar</strong> Foundation and Hamad <strong>Medical</strong> Corporation:“Interactions with the leaders have been hugely hearten<strong>in</strong>gto me,” Dr. Skorton said. “They understand, <strong>in</strong> a visionaryway, the importance of <strong>in</strong>vestigation and <strong>in</strong>quiry <strong>in</strong> the qualityof medical care and of life <strong>in</strong> general <strong>in</strong> <strong>Qatar</strong>.”“Interactions with the leaders of <strong>Qatar</strong> Foundation and Hamad <strong>Medical</strong> Corporation havebeen hugely hearten<strong>in</strong>g to me. They understand, <strong>in</strong> a visionary way, the importance of<strong>in</strong>vestigation and <strong>in</strong>quiry <strong>in</strong> the quality of medical care and of life <strong>in</strong> general <strong>in</strong> <strong>Qatar</strong>.”— Dr. David J. Skorton10 <strong>Qatar</strong> Chronicle
<strong>Graduation</strong> <strong>in</strong> the media spotlight“The future for our graduates is bright,” said Dean Alonso (third left) at the press conference, May 7.Our commitment is gett<strong>in</strong>g “deeper, broaderand bigger” — Sanford I. <strong>Weill</strong>Meet<strong>in</strong>g the press a day ahead of the graduation ceremony,leaders of <strong>Cornell</strong> and <strong>Weill</strong> <strong>Cornell</strong> said thepartnership with <strong>Qatar</strong> Foundation was grow<strong>in</strong>g strongeryear on year.“This is a commitment to long-term <strong>in</strong>volvement,” saidDean Gotto. “We are not plann<strong>in</strong>g to be <strong>in</strong> and out.”Po<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g out that he is on the Board of the Foundation’srecently established U.S. branch, Sanford <strong>Weill</strong> saidhe and Dean Gotto also are on the Board of Sidra <strong>Medical</strong>and Research Center. “Our commitment is gett<strong>in</strong>g deeper,broader and bigger – we’ll be here to take care of all of youas you get older!” he quipped.President Skorton drew attention to the larger vision.Leaders of the universities with branches <strong>in</strong> EducationCity had met the day before to form “an even strongerpartnership among themselves,” he said. One goal was tosupport the drive to change the nature of education <strong>in</strong> thecountry and create a knowledge-based economy.Her Highness is <strong>in</strong> a leadership role throughout the Gulf<strong>in</strong> establish<strong>in</strong>g education as the basis of diversification forthe future, putt<strong>in</strong>g <strong>Qatar</strong> at the forefront of <strong>in</strong>novation <strong>in</strong>the region, Dr. Skorton said.Asked about the future for WCMC-Q, Dean Alonsosaid the <strong>Medical</strong> <strong>College</strong> will cont<strong>in</strong>ue to mature, develop<strong>in</strong>gits missions <strong>in</strong> patient care and research, while alsoenhanc<strong>in</strong>g its commitment to community service. And hepredicted a bright future for its graduates: “We are go<strong>in</strong>gto do everyth<strong>in</strong>g possible to br<strong>in</strong>g them back to <strong>Qatar</strong> afterpostgraduate tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g.”<strong>Qatar</strong> Foundation “the best <strong>in</strong>vestmentfor the future”Earlier, president of <strong>Qatar</strong> Foundation, Dr. MohammadFathy Saoud, told a press conference at the organization’sheadquarters that the presence of top-class universities<strong>in</strong> Education City has a wider <strong>in</strong>fluence on society, cit<strong>in</strong>gthe collaboration between WCMC-Q and Hamad <strong>Medical</strong>Corporation <strong>in</strong> the field of health care.He underl<strong>in</strong>ed the country’s commitment to <strong>Qatar</strong> Foundation,which encompasses education from pre-school topostgraduate level, as well as <strong>Qatar</strong> Science and TechnologyPark. “We believe <strong>Qatar</strong> Foundation and EducationCity are the best <strong>in</strong>vestment for the future,” he said.Dr. Saoud emphasized that the quality of education,and of students <strong>in</strong> the universities, is identical betweenhome and <strong>Qatar</strong> campuses. Students on the <strong>Qatar</strong> sidehave opportunities to go study or do research on the ma<strong>in</strong>campuses – and they do just as well, he noted.“I couldn’t have asked for a betterexperience,” says U.S. graduateAsked about her decision to leave theU.S. and travel to <strong>Qatar</strong> to take her M.D. degree,Sharon K<strong>in</strong>g ’08 was wholly positive.“It was wonderful – I couldn’t haveasked for a better experience!” she responded.“I thought the opportunity tostudy <strong>in</strong> a culture different from my ownwould help me to grow as a person, openmy m<strong>in</strong>d to new ways of th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g andmake me a better doctor; I th<strong>in</strong>k it has.”Alongside K<strong>in</strong>g at the press conference,May 7, were <strong>Qatar</strong>is Jehan Al Rayahi ’08 andKhalid Al Khelaifi ’08, and Jordanian Subhi AlAref ‘08. Al Rayahi said any early anxietiesabout the academic challenges and coeducationalsett<strong>in</strong>g were quickly dispelled once sheenrolled <strong>in</strong> WCMC-Q: “I felt very at ease, verycomfortable. My colleagues are from so manycountries, and they are very respectful.”Al Khelaifi paid tribute to his classmatesand thanked all those who had made realthe vision to establish WCMC-Q. “I am sohappy to accomplish and f<strong>in</strong>ish six years ofhard work,” he said, express<strong>in</strong>g pride at be<strong>in</strong>gpart of Education City and read<strong>in</strong>ess tocontribute to <strong>Qatar</strong>’s future.Summer/Fall <strong>2008</strong> 11
Unique ceremony<strong>in</strong> New YorkTak<strong>in</strong>g the Hippocratic Oath <strong>in</strong> New York’sCarnegie Hall, May 29, were all but one ofWCMC-Q’s 15 graduates, together with the 96men and women graduat<strong>in</strong>g from <strong>Weill</strong> <strong>Cornell</strong>’s Manhattancampus this year.For the <strong>Qatar</strong> graduates, this second round of Commencementfestivities began the day before with an even<strong>in</strong>g d<strong>in</strong>nercruise around Manhattan, accompanied by their families.“It’s a very nice way of end<strong>in</strong>g our eventful journey,” saidnew physician Ibrahim Sultan. “It’s been the best six yearsof my life.” Also on board the Duchess were Joan and Sanford<strong>Weill</strong> and New York campus Dean Antonio Gotto andhis wife, Anita; guests from the <strong>Qatar</strong> branch <strong>in</strong>cluded DeanAlonso, Havva Idriss, and Dr. Maya Hammoud.The follow<strong>in</strong>g day, the WCMC-Q group jo<strong>in</strong>ed their colleaguesfrom <strong>Weill</strong> <strong>Cornell</strong> <strong>in</strong> New York <strong>in</strong> the world-famousconcert hall, to form a unified Class of <strong>2008</strong> for the Commencement.More than 50 others, who had earned PhDsand master’s of science degrees from <strong>Weill</strong> <strong>Cornell</strong> GraduateSchool of <strong>Medical</strong> Sciences, also took part <strong>in</strong> the ceremony.With report<strong>in</strong>g by Beth SaulnierGala celebration <strong>in</strong> Education CityEarlier <strong>in</strong> May, WCMC-Q’s Class of <strong>2008</strong> took part <strong>in</strong><strong>Qatar</strong> Foundation’s Inaugural Senior Convocation,along with the first graduates of Carnegie MellonUniversity <strong>in</strong> <strong>Qatar</strong> and Texas A&M University at <strong>Qatar</strong>,and the seventh class to graduate from Virg<strong>in</strong>ia CommonwealthSchool of the Arts <strong>in</strong> <strong>Qatar</strong>.The event, held May 6, began with a formal processionof deans and faculty and ended on a high note with agala concert by Italian opera star Andrea Bocelli and Iraqiheart throb Kathem Al Saher, accompanied by musiciansof the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.President of <strong>Qatar</strong> Foundation, Dr. Mohammad FathySaoud presented gifts to the graduat<strong>in</strong>g students: watchesfor the men and diamond r<strong>in</strong>gs for the women.Then, representatives from each class placed mementos<strong>in</strong>side a time capsule. Stepp<strong>in</strong>g forward for WCMC-Q,Khalid Al Khelaifi, Jehan Al Rayahi and Kunali Dalal depositeda class photograph, a DVD of happy memoriesand a white coat signed by the whole class as tokens oftheir dedication to Education City.In his address, HH the Emir reaffirmed <strong>Qatar</strong>’s commitmentto susta<strong>in</strong>able human development, and underl<strong>in</strong>edthe central role of education <strong>in</strong> build<strong>in</strong>g a modern society.He praised Education City for welcom<strong>in</strong>g talentedstudents of diverse backgrounds, mak<strong>in</strong>g the campus “ameet<strong>in</strong>g place for different civilizations to converge.”A time to remember:(above) president of <strong>Qatar</strong>Foundation, Dr. MohammadFathy Saoud presents KhalidAl Khelaifi with a mementoat Education City’s InauguralConvocation.Aisha Yousuf (left) andKunali Dalal (right)celebrate together.12 <strong>Qatar</strong> Chronicle
In touch with the communityMed students experience“the humanity offamily practice”Focus<strong>in</strong>g on the basis of medic<strong>in</strong>e: Vildana Omerovic sees a patient <strong>in</strong> the Airport Health Center, observed by consultant physician andDirector of the facility, Dr. Samya Flamerzi.The six-week long Primary Care Clerkship, an <strong>in</strong>tegralpart of the <strong>Weill</strong> <strong>Cornell</strong> curriculum, <strong>in</strong>troducesmedical students to a different k<strong>in</strong>d of health carefrom their previous clerkship experiences.In <strong>Qatar</strong>, it is divided between attachments to primarycare centers, and Hamad <strong>Medical</strong> Corporation’s (HMC)<strong>in</strong>ternal medic<strong>in</strong>e department and emergency room. Theclerks experience a wide cross-section of patient care – fromacute presentations of systemic illnesses by ambulatorypatients, geriatrics, childhood screen<strong>in</strong>g, prenatal care, preventivecare (e.g. vacc<strong>in</strong>ations) and management of chronicdiseases, to triag<strong>in</strong>g more urgent presentations.For the Class of <strong>2008</strong>, who completed the Primary CareClerkship dur<strong>in</strong>g their f<strong>in</strong>al year, it was also a way togauge how well prepared they were to move out of medicalschool and <strong>in</strong>to full-time patient care.“S<strong>in</strong>ce primary care covers all the fields, it’s an opportunityto f<strong>in</strong>d out if you are ready: to s<strong>in</strong>k or swim,” said SharonK<strong>in</strong>g, who did the clerkship <strong>in</strong> fall 2007. “I realized throughoutthe rotation that I felt ready for my <strong>in</strong>ternship year. Itgave me the realization: ‘I’m go<strong>in</strong>g to be okay next year’.”Family physicians who supervised WCMC-Q’s youngdoctors-<strong>in</strong>-tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Doha’s Airport and West BayHealth Centers recognized their read<strong>in</strong>ess. Consultant <strong>in</strong>family medic<strong>in</strong>e and Director of West Bay Health Center,Dr. Zeleikha Al Bashwar, said they had made impressiveprogress s<strong>in</strong>ce their first and second year preceptorships<strong>in</strong> the Medic<strong>in</strong>e, Patients and Society courses.“There’s a big change. At the beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g, we used toteach them simple th<strong>in</strong>gs like how to take a patient’s history.Now, they are very good <strong>in</strong> cl<strong>in</strong>ical practice, see<strong>in</strong>gthe patients and exam<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g them,” she commented.From Pap smears to triageDr. Mohamud Verjee, assistant professor of familymedic<strong>in</strong>e and Director of the clerkship, expla<strong>in</strong>ed its rationale:“It is an opportunity for students to see life, healthand illness at the present<strong>in</strong>g stage rather than the severe,<strong>in</strong>tense stage. It is extremely relevant to the overall healthof any community or nation.”A significant advantage of work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the health centersis that there is both time and office space for theyoung doctors-<strong>in</strong>-tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g to <strong>in</strong>vestigate cases thoroughly,run tests where relevant and follow the patients up.“We ask them to try and see ten to twelve patients <strong>in</strong>one session from about 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.,” Dr. Verjeesaid. “We encourage them to see the patients on their own,(Cont<strong>in</strong>ued on page 23)Summer/Fall <strong>2008</strong> 13
Historic match day“To see them match so well –I knew they would.They are all very strong <strong>in</strong>dividuals.I’m very pleased.”— Dr. David Robertshaw“It’s def<strong>in</strong>itely an <strong>in</strong>spiration.We look forward to cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g tomeet the goals they have set.”— Pankit VachhaniSecond-year premedAli Farooki, seen celebrat<strong>in</strong>g his successful match <strong>in</strong> anesthesiology to Rush University<strong>Medical</strong> Center, Ill<strong>in</strong>ois.March 20 – match day – saw history <strong>in</strong> themak<strong>in</strong>g at WCMC-Q, as the Class of <strong>2008</strong>successfully matched to residencies <strong>in</strong> theirchosen specialties.They are the first home-grown medical students <strong>in</strong><strong>Qatar</strong> to go through the ‘match’, the highly competitiveprocess by which all med school fourth years and graduatesaim<strong>in</strong>g to do residencies <strong>in</strong> the U.S. secure places <strong>in</strong>residency programs.Their reactions? “I’m ecstatic,” said Mashael Al Khulaifi,who matched to an anesthesiology residency atNewYork-Presbyterian/<strong>Weill</strong> <strong>Cornell</strong> <strong>Medical</strong> Center.“I’m glad I got my first choice – <strong>Cornell</strong>. It’s all good.”As it was too for Rana Biary, Subhi Al Aref and KunaliDalal, all of whom will be jo<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Al Khulaifi next yearat <strong>Weill</strong> <strong>Cornell</strong>. And for their classmates, who matchedto residencies at Johns Hopk<strong>in</strong>s University <strong>in</strong> Baltimore;Rush University <strong>Medical</strong> Center <strong>in</strong> Chicago; and the Universityof M<strong>in</strong>nesota, among others.Three class members have chosen to do residencies atHamad <strong>Medical</strong> Corporation <strong>in</strong> <strong>Qatar</strong>: Khalid Al Khelaifiand Osama Alsaied opted for surgery, while Jehan AlRayahi is pursu<strong>in</strong>g her dream of becom<strong>in</strong>g a radiologist.Meanwhile, Aisha Yousuf is to conduct research <strong>in</strong> obstetricsand gynecology at the University of Michigan,rather than enter a residency program next year.The newly matched students chose diverse specialties<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g family medic<strong>in</strong>e, <strong>in</strong>ternal medic<strong>in</strong>e, surgery, radiology,obstetrics and gynecology, emergency medic<strong>in</strong>e,neurosurgery and anesthesiology.Dean of WCMC-Q, Dr. Daniel Alonso sent his congratulationsfrom New York, where he was on a bus<strong>in</strong>ess trip.“Your credentials, commitment, motivation, and perseverancehave resulted <strong>in</strong> extraord<strong>in</strong>ary success,” he told“You deserve a lot of credit for embark<strong>in</strong>g on this great adventure. There were a lot ofchallenges, like with any new program . . . You all did amaz<strong>in</strong>gly well <strong>in</strong> your matches,and we are very proud of you.”— Dr. Maya Hammoud, Senior Associate Dean for Education at WCMC-Q14 <strong>Qatar</strong> Chronicle
Where they are go<strong>in</strong>gGraduate Residency Program SpecialtySubhi Al Aref NYP/<strong>Weill</strong> <strong>Cornell</strong> <strong>Medical</strong> Center-NY Internal Medic<strong>in</strong>eKhalid Al Khelaifi Hamad <strong>Medical</strong> Corporation, <strong>Qatar</strong> SurgeryMashael Al Khulaifi NYP/<strong>Weill</strong> <strong>Cornell</strong> <strong>Medical</strong> Center-NY AnesthesiologyJehan Al Rayahi Hamad <strong>Medical</strong> Corporation, <strong>Qatar</strong> RadiologyOsama Alsaied Hamad <strong>Medical</strong> Corporation, <strong>Qatar</strong> SurgeryRana Biary NYP-Columbia/<strong>Cornell</strong>-NY Emergency Medic<strong>in</strong>eKunali Dalal NYP/<strong>Weill</strong> <strong>Cornell</strong> <strong>Medical</strong> Center-NY Ob/Gyn-prelim<strong>in</strong>aryAli Farooki Rush University <strong>Medical</strong> Center-IL AnesthesiologyAmila Husic Lahey Cl<strong>in</strong>ic-MA General surgerySharon K<strong>in</strong>g University of Wyom<strong>in</strong>g-Cheyenne-WY Family medic<strong>in</strong>eVildana Omerovic NY Hospital <strong>Medical</strong> Center Queens-NY General surgeryAyobami Omosola Virg<strong>in</strong>ia Commonwealth University-VA Internal medic<strong>in</strong>eIbrahim Sultan Johns Hopk<strong>in</strong>s University-MD Surgery-prelim<strong>in</strong>aryD<strong>in</strong>o Terzic University of M<strong>in</strong>nesota <strong>Medical</strong> School-MN NeurosurgeryAisha Yousuf University of Michigan-MI Research-Ob/Gyn“Your credentials, commitment, motivation, and perseverance have resulted <strong>in</strong> extraord<strong>in</strong>arysuccess. Yours is a very impressive achievement, one that is admired by all of us at WCMC-Q,at <strong>Weill</strong> <strong>Cornell</strong> <strong>Medical</strong> <strong>College</strong> and at <strong>Cornell</strong> University.”— Dr. Daniel Alonso, Dean of WCMC-Qthe students. “Yours is a very impressive achievement,one that is admired by all of us at WCMC-Q, at <strong>Weill</strong> <strong>Cornell</strong><strong>Medical</strong> <strong>College</strong> and at <strong>Cornell</strong> University.”Dur<strong>in</strong>g a reception held <strong>in</strong> their honor at the <strong>Medical</strong><strong>College</strong>, Dr. Maya Hammoud, Senior Associate Dean forEducation at WCMC-Q, added her congratulations to thestudents – and the faculty and staff who supported themover the last six years: “This is all teamwork. We all have towork together to accomplish what we accomplished today.”Dr. Hammoud told the class: “You deserve a lot ofcredit for embark<strong>in</strong>g on this great adventure. There werea lot of challenges, like with any new program . . . Youall did amaz<strong>in</strong>gly well <strong>in</strong> your matches, and we are veryproud of you.”With the elation came relief: Match day is an anxietyfraughtday for all med students, not least the WCMC-QInaugural Class, the first to graduate from a program locatedoutside the U.S.So theirs was an historic achievement, and one thatadded to the sense of history be<strong>in</strong>g made at <strong>Weill</strong> <strong>Cornell</strong><strong>Medical</strong> <strong>College</strong> <strong>in</strong> New York, where Dr. Carol Storey-Johnson, Senior Associate Dean for Education, told the 96students <strong>in</strong> the Class of <strong>2008</strong> that they had achieved <strong>Weill</strong><strong>Cornell</strong>’s best ever match.Professor of physiology at WCMC-Q, Dr. David Robertshaw,was thrilled by his students’ success, but hewasn’t surprised. “To see them match so well – I knewthey would,” he said. “They are all very strong <strong>in</strong>dividuals.I’m very pleased.”Underclassmen also came to the reception to supporttheir friends and mentors.“It’s def<strong>in</strong>itely an <strong>in</strong>spiration,” said second-year premedPankit Vachhani. “We look forward to cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>gto meet the goals they have set – maybe even to go<strong>in</strong>gbeyond them.”With report<strong>in</strong>g by Lauren Gold, <strong>Cornell</strong> University science writer.Summer/Fall <strong>2008</strong> 15
Faculty NewsDr. Imad Makki appo<strong>in</strong>tedAssistant Dean for Research Adm<strong>in</strong>istrationDr. Imad MakkiDr. Imad Makki has been appo<strong>in</strong>tedto the position of AssistantDean for Research Adm<strong>in</strong>istration.Senior lecturer <strong>in</strong> physics and Directorof the Foundation Program s<strong>in</strong>cehe jo<strong>in</strong>ed WCMC-Q <strong>in</strong> 2006, Dr. Makkiwill cont<strong>in</strong>ue with these responsibilitieswhile also organiz<strong>in</strong>g and adm<strong>in</strong>ister<strong>in</strong>gthe program of summer researchfellowships for WCMC-Q students<strong>in</strong> <strong>Qatar</strong> and the U.S. that was established<strong>in</strong> 2004. Develop<strong>in</strong>g a programhe <strong>in</strong>itiated <strong>in</strong> the spr<strong>in</strong>g semester, hewill <strong>in</strong>troduce research tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g forhigh school students as a way to motivatethem for careers <strong>in</strong> medic<strong>in</strong>e andbiomedical research. F<strong>in</strong>ally, he will coord<strong>in</strong>atecompetitive external researchfund<strong>in</strong>g from national and <strong>in</strong>ternationalsources and adm<strong>in</strong>ister the processof <strong>in</strong>ternal review of planned researchapplications by faculty and students.Dr. Makki br<strong>in</strong>gs a wealth of experienceto his new post. He worked forthe Ford Motor Company ResearchLaboratory <strong>in</strong> the U.S. for 15 years,where he <strong>in</strong>itiated, funded and managedmultiple research collaborationprograms with several universities,generat<strong>in</strong>g numerous patents, andjournal and conference papers, andw<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g a number of awards for hiswork. He has taught at a number ofuniversities <strong>in</strong> the U.S. and has beenactively engaged <strong>in</strong> graduate educationat both MS and PhD levels.(For more, see <strong>Qatar</strong> Chronicle no: 6,page 17).Appo<strong>in</strong>tments to the facultyRav<strong>in</strong>der Mamtani, MBBS, MD,MSc, has been appo<strong>in</strong>ted professorof public health. After receiv<strong>in</strong>g hisMBBS and MD degrees from the M.A.<strong>Medical</strong> <strong>College</strong> of the University ofDelhi, India, Dr. Mamtani pursuedpostgraduate tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the U.K. andU.S.A., earn<strong>in</strong>g a MSc degree <strong>in</strong> communitymedic<strong>in</strong>e from the Universityof Manchester <strong>Medical</strong> School, U.K.On mov<strong>in</strong>g to the U.S. <strong>in</strong> 1984, hewas appo<strong>in</strong>ted assistant professor ofcommunity and preventive medic<strong>in</strong>eat New York <strong>Medical</strong> <strong>College</strong>, Valhalla,NY, and rose through the ranks to becomeprofessor of cl<strong>in</strong>ical communityand preventive medic<strong>in</strong>e, associate professorof cl<strong>in</strong>ical medic<strong>in</strong>e, and adjunctprofessor of cl<strong>in</strong>ical public health.A Diplomate of the AmericanBoard of Preventive Medic<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong>general preventive medic<strong>in</strong>e andpublic health, and occupational medic<strong>in</strong>e,Dr. Mamtani was an attend<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong> occupational medic<strong>in</strong>e at theWestchester <strong>Medical</strong> Center beforejo<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g WCMC-Q.Dr. Mamtani’s research <strong>in</strong>terestsare <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>fectious and occupationaldiseases, cancer, complementarymedic<strong>in</strong>e and medical education. Asa pr<strong>in</strong>cipal <strong>in</strong>vestigator of a NationalInstitutes of Health, National CancerInstitute grant (1991-95) he developedand taught a new course onnutrition and cancer prevention formedical students at New York <strong>Medical</strong><strong>College</strong>. He has written numerousarticles <strong>in</strong> the fields of public health,and preventive and <strong>in</strong>tegrative medic<strong>in</strong>e,for peer reviewed journals.In the health care and educationalspheres, his <strong>in</strong>terests are <strong>in</strong> develop<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>novative medical educationDr. Rav<strong>in</strong>der Mamtaniprograms, an evidence based approachto patient and chronic diseasemanagement, occupational health,global health and emerg<strong>in</strong>g healthcare trends.16 <strong>Qatar</strong> Chronicle
Faculty NewsJ. Michael Conlon, DPhil, hasjo<strong>in</strong>ed WCMC-Q as professorof biochemistry. After earn<strong>in</strong>g aD.Phil. degree <strong>in</strong> organic chemistryat Sussex University, U.K., Dr. Conlonwas awarded a post-doctoralfellowship at University <strong>College</strong>Dubl<strong>in</strong>, Eire, followed by a furtherfellowship at Queen’s UniversityBelfast, N. Ireland, U.K. Thereafter,he was a <strong>Medical</strong> Research CouncilTravell<strong>in</strong>g Fellow at Southwestern<strong>Medical</strong> School, Dallas <strong>in</strong> the U.S.state of Texas, and then a senior researchfellow at the University ofNewcastle-upon-Tyne, U.K.Follow<strong>in</strong>g a period as Director ofthe Cl<strong>in</strong>ical Research Group for Gastro<strong>in</strong>test<strong>in</strong>alEndocr<strong>in</strong>ology at theMax Planck Society, University ofGott<strong>in</strong>gen, Germany, Dr. Conlon wasappo<strong>in</strong>ted professor of biochemistryat Creighton University <strong>Medical</strong>School, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. In2002, he moved to the Arabian Gulfregion, to take up the post of professorand Chairman of Biochemistry <strong>in</strong>the faculty of medic<strong>in</strong>e, United ArabEmirates University, Al-A<strong>in</strong>, UAE.Dr. Conlon’s research hasfocused on three areas: gastro<strong>in</strong>test<strong>in</strong>alendocr<strong>in</strong>ology, comparativeendocr<strong>in</strong>ology, and antimicrobialand anticancer peptides. He haspublished over 440 articles <strong>in</strong> peerreviewedjournals and has authored44 books, book chapters and reviews.Part of his work at WCMC-Q will be<strong>in</strong> the development of the researchmission.With considerable experienceof teach<strong>in</strong>g at undergraduate andgraduate level as a lecturer andproblem-based learn<strong>in</strong>g tutor, Dr.Dr. J. Michael ConlonConlon’s teach<strong>in</strong>g commitments atWCMC-Q are <strong>in</strong> both pre-medicaland medical programs.Husey<strong>in</strong> Refik Burgut, MS, PhD, isvisit<strong>in</strong>g professor of biostatistics <strong>in</strong>the Department of Public Health.After pursu<strong>in</strong>g undergraduateeducation <strong>in</strong> Turkey, Dr. Burgutmoved to the United States, wherehe earned a MS degree <strong>in</strong> biostatisticsfrom Case Western ReserveUniversity followed by a PhD, also<strong>in</strong> biostatistics, from the Universityof Pittsburgh Graduate School ofPublic Health.On return<strong>in</strong>g to Turkey <strong>in</strong> 1983,Dr. Burgut was appo<strong>in</strong>ted assistantprofessor <strong>in</strong> the Department ofPublic Health, Cukurova UniversitySchool of Medic<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong> Adana. Herose through the ranks to becomeprofessor, as well as Chairman ofthe Department of Biostatistics – anappo<strong>in</strong>tment he has held on threeseparate occasions.Dr. Husey<strong>in</strong> Refik BurgutDr. Burgut’s recent research has<strong>in</strong>cluded quality of life studies <strong>in</strong>breast cancer patients, biomarkers <strong>in</strong>the diagnosis and prognosis of cancers,a number of studies of cancerssuch as those related to smok<strong>in</strong>g,and the design and analysis ofcl<strong>in</strong>ical studies. He has published anumber of papers <strong>in</strong> peer-reviewedjournals. He has also served on theeditorial board of university medicaljournals, on a publications committeeand on the executive committeeof the Health Sciences Institute ofCukurova University.With experience of teach<strong>in</strong>g atboth undergraduate and graduatelevel, Dr. Burgut has taught courses<strong>in</strong> epidemiology, biostatistics,statistical methods and sampl<strong>in</strong>gmethods. He has also been advisoror co-advisor to graduate students<strong>in</strong> biostatistics and public health, <strong>in</strong>MS and residency programs.Summer/Fall <strong>2008</strong> 17
Faculty NewsNew Associate Dean for pre-med br<strong>in</strong>gs<strong>in</strong>ternational perspective to the postMichael Johnson, PhD, wasappo<strong>in</strong>ted Associate Deanfor Pre-medical Education<strong>in</strong> January, <strong>in</strong> succession to David Robertshaw,PhD, professor of physiology,who held the position for six yearsfrom the <strong>in</strong>ception of WCMC-Q.Dr. Johnson earned his doctoraldegree <strong>in</strong> physiology from theUniversity of Michigan and had adist<strong>in</strong>guished career at West Virg<strong>in</strong>iaUniversity (WVU) School of Medic<strong>in</strong>e,atta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g the rank of professor ofphysiology <strong>in</strong> 1988.Unusually, Dr. Johnson came toWCMC-Q with recent experience of astart-up medical school <strong>in</strong> the region.From 2001-2006, he was found<strong>in</strong>gDean of the Oman <strong>Medical</strong> <strong>College</strong>,a new private medical school <strong>in</strong> theSultanate of Oman, <strong>in</strong> which WVUhad an advisory role.So his move to WCMC-Q was<strong>in</strong>formed both by a deep understand<strong>in</strong>gof medical education, and byrecent experience of its <strong>in</strong>ternationaldimension.“One of the reasons I’m here isbecause I firmly believe that what<strong>Cornell</strong>, and a few others, are do<strong>in</strong>gare some of the greatest educationalexperiments of our generation,” heexpla<strong>in</strong>ed. “How they turn out is go<strong>in</strong>gto have a major effect, not only oneducation across these cultures, buton how the cultures view each other.I th<strong>in</strong>k it’s terribly important – it goesway beyond education.”He noted that WCMC-Q is uniqueamong these new ventures: “No otherU.S. medical school is do<strong>in</strong>g what<strong>Weill</strong> <strong>Cornell</strong> is do<strong>in</strong>g. This is theonly place that a student outside theU.S. can earn a U.S. medical degreewithout go<strong>in</strong>g there.”Dr. Johnson’s first impression ofDr. Michael JohnsonWCMC-Q’s students was whollypositive. “The ones I have met arevery bright, <strong>in</strong>quisitive and motivated– and extremely grateful for theopportunity they have been given.”Reform<strong>in</strong>g the program,reach<strong>in</strong>g the communityAmong early tasks, the AssociateDean is work<strong>in</strong>g on plans alreadyunder development to extendWCMC-Q’s Pre-medical Programfrom two to three years’ duration,and to <strong>in</strong>crease opportunities for studentsto be engaged <strong>in</strong> research.“This would decompress the premedyears, and it would allow thestudents to take some electives, socialsciences and humanities that theydon’t now get a chance to take,” Dr.Johnson said.“We believe these opportunitieswill produce more well-rounded doctorswho will provide the best patientcare, while gett<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>volved themselvesand keep<strong>in</strong>g up-to-date withthe latest discoveries <strong>in</strong> medic<strong>in</strong>e.”At the same time, WCMC-Q may extendits already thriv<strong>in</strong>g communityoutreach activities to assist youngpeople <strong>in</strong> mak<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>formed careerdecisions. “We need to better educatethe community on what it takes,and means, to go to medical school,”he commented.Education for lifeA seasoned medical educator, Dr.Johnson has been recommended for appo<strong>in</strong>tmentas professor of physiology,and is a problem-based learn<strong>in</strong>g (PBL)tutor to first year medical students.While at WVU, he was a facultyleader <strong>in</strong> the process of curriculummodernization common to most U.S.medical schools <strong>in</strong> the early 1990s,mov<strong>in</strong>g away from teach<strong>in</strong>g blocks of<strong>in</strong>formation-heavy material towardssystem-based courses that developedstudents’ skills for lifelong learn<strong>in</strong>g.He also became <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong>how biology was taught at the undergraduatelevel. Conv<strong>in</strong>ced that<strong>in</strong>formation-overload was “turn<strong>in</strong>gstudents off” – particularly thenon-science majors – he argued forbuild<strong>in</strong>g a conceptual frameworkthat showed how biology is connectedto people’s lives and to the worldaround them. That conviction ledhim to write an undergraduate biologytextbook for non-science majors,Human Biology: Concepts and CurrentIssues, now <strong>in</strong> its fourth edition.Look<strong>in</strong>g back over his time <strong>in</strong>medical education, Dr. Johnson saidthe relationship between studentsand faculty has changed for the better.“The mentor, or advisor, modelsgood behavior, takes the student underhis or her w<strong>in</strong>g, and treats themlike they are jo<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g the fraternity.”And it is a model he has found work<strong>in</strong>gwell at WCMC-Q.18 <strong>Qatar</strong> Chronicle
Enterta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, <strong>in</strong>formative, diverse – Peter Fortunato, Autumn Watts, Dr. Alan Weber and Dr. Rodney Sharkey.Sett<strong>in</strong>g the m<strong>in</strong>d freeEnglish faculty deliver sparkl<strong>in</strong>g literary lectures seriesThroughout April, members of the English facultybrought their creative and research talents to anaudience from with<strong>in</strong> and outside WCMC-Q <strong>in</strong> asecond annual literary lectures series as remarkable for itsdiversity as it was enterta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g and <strong>in</strong>formative.Senior lecturer Peter Fortunato <strong>in</strong>vited his audience tolet their m<strong>in</strong>ds range “unrestricted and free” and proceeded,with neat irony, to hold them spellbound as he wove a magicaltapestry of images <strong>in</strong> some 20 poems. With grace and wit,Fortunato conjured a satirical take on expat life; reflections onmortality; and a notable portrait of Florence <strong>in</strong> I walked alongthe Arno. He highlighted the personal transformation thatcomes from mov<strong>in</strong>g beyond custom or received wisdom,not<strong>in</strong>g: “It takes courage to break with traditional roles.” InV<strong>in</strong>cit <strong>in</strong>stans Fortunato reflected on the poet’s preoccupationwith impermanence, referenc<strong>in</strong>g the sixteenth century philosopherand iconoclast Giordano Bruno. “Eternity hangs <strong>in</strong>the poet’s effort to capture the moment,” he said.The history of women <strong>in</strong> medic<strong>in</strong>e and medical education– the subject of a presentation by assistant professor, Dr.Alan Weber – was a sober<strong>in</strong>g account of two steps forwardand one step back. While female practitioners were recorded<strong>in</strong> ancient Egypt and Greece, and are known to have practicedand taught <strong>in</strong> Europe’s religious houses <strong>in</strong> the MiddleAges, they were virtually excluded from the profession fromthe Renaissance period. In the n<strong>in</strong>eteenth century, womenstruggled to qualify and practice as physicians <strong>in</strong> the UnitedStates and Brita<strong>in</strong>, only to suffer a backlash <strong>in</strong> the U.S. from1910 to 1935. The Flexner Report (1910), which sharply criticizedthe female-only medical colleges, “was devastat<strong>in</strong>g towomen’s medical education,” Dr. Weber noted; not until the1970s did the situation improve significantly.Natural and unnatural histories, communities on theedge, and distance – geographic, social, economic: Thethreads runn<strong>in</strong>g through a mixed media presentation bylecturer Autumn Watts created memorable photographicand verbal images of Nevada. Peel<strong>in</strong>g back the layersto exam<strong>in</strong>e her home state, she revealed mounta<strong>in</strong>s andvast dry lake beds; a culture shaped by a passion forhorses; and the glitz of Las Vegas versus the povertyof the rural desert. Watts traced parallel shapes <strong>in</strong> mar<strong>in</strong>elife and the terrify<strong>in</strong>g clouds of atomic explosionsover the Yucca Flat Test Site. “To Nevadans, the atomictests are only one more superlative <strong>in</strong> a State endowedwith already spectacular history and scenery” declaredNational Geographic Magaz<strong>in</strong>e writer Samuel W. Matthews<strong>in</strong> 1953; “life only grows sadder by <strong>in</strong>crements,”observed Watts <strong>in</strong> <strong>2008</strong>.F<strong>in</strong>ally, assistant professor Dr. Rodney Sharkeybrought the series to a rous<strong>in</strong>g conclusion with a provocativeexploration of James Joyce’s resolute effort tobreak free from the colonial past of his homeland – Ireland.Striv<strong>in</strong>g to go “au bout de l’anglais,” Joyce soughtto move beyond the constra<strong>in</strong>ts of an imposed languageand culture, he argued. Impassioned and witty, a masterof poetry and anecdote, Dr. Sharkey addressed the topicthrough the prism of nationalism rather than with referenceto the artistic milieu <strong>in</strong> which Joyce lived and wrote.Joyce set his readers free by <strong>in</strong>vit<strong>in</strong>g them to <strong>in</strong>terprethis creative and subversive writ<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> their own way,he said. Arguably, this was at the risk of veer<strong>in</strong>g fromparody <strong>in</strong>to surrealism, but the last word goes to the lastimage: James Joyce, elegant as ever, stand<strong>in</strong>g oppositehis American patron and publisher, Sylvia Beach – <strong>in</strong> thedoorway of Shakespeare & Co., Paris.Summer/Fall <strong>2008</strong> 19
Gett<strong>in</strong>g the message across: Evolv<strong>in</strong>gThe spr<strong>in</strong>g semester saw <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>volvement by foundation andpre-medical faculty <strong>in</strong> outreachactivities with local schools.For the first time, seven 1 pre-med facultymembers took part <strong>in</strong> a science andmath Olympiad, hosted by Doha IndependentSecondary School for Boys, March23-27. They assisted with prepar<strong>in</strong>g testquestions, and were present to monitorproceed<strong>in</strong>gs and announce the w<strong>in</strong>ners.Teams of students from six schools <strong>in</strong><strong>Qatar</strong> competed <strong>in</strong> Internet-based, timedtests, a format developed by the schoolwith support from ictQATAR 2 .Comment<strong>in</strong>g on the positive andfriendly atmosphere, Dr. Marco Ameduri,senior lecturer <strong>in</strong> physics andAssistant Dean for Pre-medical Education,said the event allowed students toexperience how scientists work.“I th<strong>in</strong>k it’s important to <strong>in</strong>still <strong>in</strong> students both asense of competitiveness and a sense of achiev<strong>in</strong>g a goalthrough collaboration. Science is a collaborative effort,and it’s also competitive – do<strong>in</strong>g this k<strong>in</strong>d of activity <strong>in</strong>groups captures that.”Dr. Michael Smith, professor of biology, said he waspleased to have an opportunity to get out <strong>in</strong>to schools and“see how students perform.”And he highlighted the benefits of the <strong>in</strong>ter-school exchange:“To br<strong>in</strong>g them together is a healthy th<strong>in</strong>g anda good, productive, educational experience, even if theyonly have a few m<strong>in</strong>utes to chat to each other.”The school also hosted a career exhibition, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>gbooths set up by WCMC-Q and Hamad <strong>Medical</strong> Corporation– br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g home the message that <strong>Qatar</strong> offers grow<strong>in</strong>gopportunities <strong>in</strong> medical education and health care.“We want the students to have a w<strong>in</strong>dow to see their futureafter graduation from secondary school,” said scienceand professional development coord<strong>in</strong>ator at the school,Azzam Abu Hanieh. “The career fair helps our studentsunderstand their choices for the future.”WCMC-Q Associate Dean for Pre-medical Education,Dr. Michael Johnson, said this was an important part ofWCMC-Q’s outreach.“We are not just promot<strong>in</strong>g ‘why come to <strong>Cornell</strong>?’ We20 <strong>Qatar</strong> ChronicleWhat is it really like to be a student at WCMC-Q? Students from Al Bayan ScientificSchool visit <strong>in</strong> February to f<strong>in</strong>d out for themselves.have to talk about ‘why become a doctor?’ The studentsnow have opportunities they did not previously have, andthey are choos<strong>in</strong>g their careers so much younger (than <strong>in</strong>the U.S.), which makes it more difficult for them.”In February, WCMC-Q hosted visits by students fromAl Bayan Scientific School, and Omar B<strong>in</strong> Al-KhattabEducational Complex for Boys, two of the ma<strong>in</strong> feeder <strong>in</strong>stitutionsfor the <strong>Medical</strong> <strong>College</strong> – aga<strong>in</strong>, reach<strong>in</strong>g out toyoung people consider<strong>in</strong>g a career <strong>in</strong> medic<strong>in</strong>e. Almost allthe visitors were <strong>Qatar</strong>i nationals.They spent several hours meet<strong>in</strong>g faculty members andstudents <strong>in</strong> the Foundation and Pre-medical Programs,f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g out about the reality of study<strong>in</strong>g at WCMC-Q andtry<strong>in</strong>g their hand at experiments <strong>in</strong> the physics lab.“What we want them to take away from events likethis is that, once they enter <strong>Weill</strong> <strong>Cornell</strong>, we will givethem all the support we can to help them succeed,” saidDr. Imad Makki, senior lecturer <strong>in</strong> physics and Directorof the Foundation Program. “The field of medic<strong>in</strong>e is noteasy, and this is their biggest concern. We want to prove tothem that they can do it.”In the field of teachers’ professional development, facultygave presentations <strong>in</strong> the third Annual Symposium onScience Teach<strong>in</strong>g and Learn<strong>in</strong>g, held at <strong>Qatar</strong> University(QU) <strong>in</strong> February. Organiz<strong>in</strong>g the event on the WCMC-Q1Faculty participat<strong>in</strong>g were: Dr. Michael Johnson, Dr. Marco Ameduri, Dr. Kev<strong>in</strong> Smith, Dr. Michael Pungente, Dr. Michael Smith and Dr. Chris Ogden. Inaddition, Dr. Terrance Murphy jo<strong>in</strong>ed with Dr. Gary Warnock of CMU-Q <strong>in</strong> present<strong>in</strong>g a science show demonstrat<strong>in</strong>g the composition of atoms and molecules.2ictQATAR: the Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology.
program of outreach among schoolsObserv<strong>in</strong>g boys from Doha Independent SecondarySchool as they take part <strong>in</strong> the biology Olympiad,March 25, are Dr. Mike Smith and Dr. Chris Ogden.“What we want them to take away from events like this is that, once they enter <strong>Weill</strong> <strong>Cornell</strong>,we will give them all the support we can to help them succeed.”— Dr. Imad Makki, senior lecturer <strong>in</strong> physics and Director of the Foundation Programside were professor of physics, Dr. Roger H<strong>in</strong>richs; associateprofessor of organic chemistry, Dr. Kev<strong>in</strong> Smith; andlecturer <strong>in</strong> biology, Dr. Chris Ogden.The symposium attracted more participants than ever,up from over 80 at the first event <strong>in</strong> 2006 to about 250 thisyear. While previous events focussed on laboratory-basedlearn<strong>in</strong>g, this year’s meet<strong>in</strong>g explored the development ofskills of critical analysis, problem solv<strong>in</strong>g and research.Among the speakers were WCMC-Q faculty Dr. H<strong>in</strong>richs;Dr. Sheila Qureshi, senior lecturer <strong>in</strong> chemistry; andDr. Renee Richer, visit<strong>in</strong>g assistant professor <strong>in</strong> biology.Meanwhile, professor of mathematics, Dr. ThomasRishel, contributed to a review of the implementation ofthe math curriculum <strong>in</strong>troduced <strong>in</strong> <strong>Qatar</strong>’s <strong>in</strong>dependentschools 3 some four years ago.As a member of <strong>Qatar</strong> Mathematical Standards Committee,set up by the Supreme Education Council’s (SEC)Office of Curriculum Standards, he worked on an assessmentof how far standards are be<strong>in</strong>g met and how thechangeover to <strong>in</strong>struction <strong>in</strong> English is be<strong>in</strong>g handled.This meant survey<strong>in</strong>g and visit<strong>in</strong>g schools across the country,observ<strong>in</strong>g classroom teach<strong>in</strong>g, and meet<strong>in</strong>g with senioradm<strong>in</strong>istrators and teachers, said Dr. Rishel, an experiencedteacher and teacher tra<strong>in</strong>er at tertiary level, who also collaboratedwith the National Council of Teachers of Mathematicswhile at the Mathematical Association <strong>in</strong> Wash<strong>in</strong>gton, D.C.“It’s a random sample of schools, so we have a fairsizedimpression of what’s go<strong>in</strong>g on <strong>in</strong> the <strong>in</strong>dependentsector,” he commented.And the outcome? After visit<strong>in</strong>g 10 schools, Dr. Rishelsaid good progress was be<strong>in</strong>g made <strong>in</strong> deliver<strong>in</strong>g the mathcurriculum <strong>in</strong> English, and attention was likely to focus onthe need to provide more opportunities for teacher tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g.Clearly, faculty members’ engagement <strong>in</strong> outreach isgrow<strong>in</strong>g, and likely to evolve further. As Dr. Ameduri expla<strong>in</strong>ed:“It’s a work-<strong>in</strong>-progress, and it will rema<strong>in</strong> so. It’salways important to understand what the needs are – andthe needs may change; what the situation on the groundis – and that changes rapidly. We have to be flexible <strong>in</strong> thetype of th<strong>in</strong>gs we do.”3Independent schools were set up follow<strong>in</strong>g a study of <strong>Qatar</strong>’s education system by RAND Corporation. They are government-funded and supervised by the SEC,under the chairmanship of the Heir Apparent, H.H. Sheikh Tamim B<strong>in</strong> Hamad B<strong>in</strong> Khalifa Al-Thani. Follow<strong>in</strong>g major reform of the K-12 curricula, the SEC issupervis<strong>in</strong>g the schools’ compliance with the standards laid down for Arabic, English, math and science.Summer/Fall <strong>2008</strong> 21
On-campus residences: towards susta<strong>in</strong>able liv<strong>in</strong>gTransform<strong>in</strong>g residents’ lives: Education City’s new accommodationswill transform the student experience by creat<strong>in</strong>g an environmentthat promotes susta<strong>in</strong>ability and nurtures community life.Tak<strong>in</strong>g a first step <strong>in</strong> one of the most excit<strong>in</strong>g developmentson the Education City campus to date,<strong>Qatar</strong> Foundation will this summer break groundon new student residence complexes.With<strong>in</strong> about eighteen months, the campus should seecompletion of two clusters, totall<strong>in</strong>g 12 build<strong>in</strong>gs. Theprojects, supervised by the Foundation’s Office of CapitalProjects and by <strong>Qatar</strong> Petroleum, will pave the waytowards transform<strong>in</strong>g residents’ lives by plac<strong>in</strong>g unprecedentedemphasis on susta<strong>in</strong>ability.Designed by U.S.-based Burns & McDonnell Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>gCompany and their consultant Treanor Architects,a practice specializ<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> student life facilities, the residentialcomplexes will enable students to have a trulyrounded educational experience, stated Kev<strong>in</strong> Konecny,Director of Campus and Residence Life.“The design makes a statement. These are build<strong>in</strong>gswhere, <strong>in</strong> addition to learn<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the classroom, studentswill be learn<strong>in</strong>g about susta<strong>in</strong>ability because they’ll beliv<strong>in</strong>g it,” he said. “We hope to help university studentsdevelop green lifestyle practices that will last a lifetime.”<strong>Qatar</strong> Foundation aims to achieve Leadership <strong>in</strong> Energyand Environmental Design (LEED) Plat<strong>in</strong>um certificationfrom the U.S. Green Build<strong>in</strong>g Council (USGBC), of whichit is a member. If granted, this would be the largest groupof Plat<strong>in</strong>um build<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> the world to receive the Council’stop accolade.The first cluster of build<strong>in</strong>gs, for women, is under constructionnear Al Jazeera Children’s Channel studios, withcompletion envisaged <strong>in</strong> summer 2009. Male students willbe accommodated <strong>in</strong> a second complex to the southeast,on land that will be brought with<strong>in</strong> the campus boundariesthis summer.Inside story: students will have access to top-quality residentialaccommodation.Partly <strong>in</strong>spired by the layout of a traditional Arab village,each complex has a community center – with spacefor students from across the campus to m<strong>in</strong>gle – officesand meet<strong>in</strong>g rooms; d<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g facilities based on the “marketplace d<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g concept” with stations for food preparation;residence halls, accessible only to the residents; and essentialservices such as a convenience store.Multiple configurations will provide residents with achoice of accommodations, from halls where each studenthas a s<strong>in</strong>gle room and en-suite bathroom, to apartmentbuild<strong>in</strong>gs hous<strong>in</strong>g studios, and one- and two-bedroomapartments.Through a consultative process organized with ResidenceHall Council officers, among them students fromWCMC-Q, Konecny has made sure that the student’svoice has been heard dur<strong>in</strong>g the plann<strong>in</strong>g phase, and thisis set to cont<strong>in</strong>ue.But what really sets these twenty-first century communitiesapart is the way <strong>in</strong> which susta<strong>in</strong>ability has been<strong>in</strong>tegrated <strong>in</strong>to the design, which also scores highly <strong>in</strong>terms of quality of landscap<strong>in</strong>g.The LEED rat<strong>in</strong>g system – a voluntary, consensusbasedset of standards applicable to public and private22 <strong>Qatar</strong> Chronicle
“The design makes a statement. These are build<strong>in</strong>gs where, <strong>in</strong> addition to learn<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> theclassroom, students will be learn<strong>in</strong>g about susta<strong>in</strong>ability because they’ll be liv<strong>in</strong>g it.”— Kev<strong>in</strong> Konecny, Director of Campus and Residence Lifebuild<strong>in</strong>gs – focuses on areas such as site development,susta<strong>in</strong>able use of materials, water and energy efficiency,and the quality of the <strong>in</strong>door environment.The architects have oriented the build<strong>in</strong>gs, and used externalscreens and overhangs to m<strong>in</strong>imize heat-load fromthe sun. Another feature is a high performance ‘build<strong>in</strong>genvelope’ on the exterior walls of each structure to providesignificant <strong>in</strong>sulation. In addition, a proportion ofthe construction materials has been sourced regionally toreduce the build<strong>in</strong>gs’ carbon footpr<strong>in</strong>t.Wastewater will be filtered, us<strong>in</strong>g a biomass wall amongother technologies, and the gray water used for irrigat<strong>in</strong>gthe grounds. Renewable energy sources, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g solarpanels, photovoltaic cells and w<strong>in</strong>d turb<strong>in</strong>es, are set tomeet part of each community’s energy requirements.The “first truly green build<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> Education City,” thenew residence complexes may yet become a center of attention,not only as the home of the <strong>in</strong>ternational and highlydiverse communities typical of the campus, but as groundbreak<strong>in</strong>gsusta<strong>in</strong>able developments <strong>in</strong> their own right.In touch with the community (Cont<strong>in</strong>ued from page 13)develop the history and physical, form their differentialdiagnoses, and suggest a management and treatmentplan. Once they have got it all together, the consultant orspecialist reviews it, discusses it and may make appropriatemodifications if required.”Assigned to a chronic disease cl<strong>in</strong>ic at the Airport HealthCenter, Vildana Omerovic was see<strong>in</strong>g patients suffer<strong>in</strong>gprimarily from diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemiawhen we caught up with her one February morn<strong>in</strong>g.“Most of the patients come on a regular basis, so youcan follow them up,” she said, dur<strong>in</strong>g a break from thecl<strong>in</strong>ic. “You can see if their disease is progress<strong>in</strong>g or not,and (judge) if what you are do<strong>in</strong>g is work<strong>in</strong>g.”For the clerks to get the most out of the experience, theyneed excellent <strong>in</strong>terpersonal skills, accord<strong>in</strong>g to Dr. SamyaFlamerzi, consultant <strong>in</strong> family medic<strong>in</strong>e, Director of theAirport Health Center and Omerovic’s supervisor.“In family medic<strong>in</strong>e, the way of communication withpatients is very important. That’s why I teach the medicalstudents to establish a good rapport. It is these communicationskills, and the humanity of family practice, thatthey learn <strong>in</strong> primary care,” said Dr. Flamerzi, who – likeDr. Al Bashwar – regularly supervises Year 1 to 4 residents<strong>in</strong> family medic<strong>in</strong>e, <strong>in</strong> addition to residents <strong>in</strong> pediatricsand WCMC-Q’s medical students.By contrast, <strong>in</strong> HMC’s emergency room, the top priorityis to provide a fast response to a heavy flow of patients.“It means see<strong>in</strong>g a huge volume of patients <strong>in</strong> a veryshort time, some with compla<strong>in</strong>ts that are not very serious.It’s a wonderful diversity of cases,” D<strong>in</strong>o Terzic said.“The doctor determ<strong>in</strong>es if there’s anyth<strong>in</strong>g urgent, or if itcan wait and should be referred to outpatient cl<strong>in</strong>ics.”Great learn<strong>in</strong>g experiencesMost memorable for K<strong>in</strong>g, who was raised <strong>in</strong> easternOregon and has chosen a career <strong>in</strong> rural family medic<strong>in</strong>e,was the chance to participate <strong>in</strong> health screen<strong>in</strong>g.“I did a well woman cl<strong>in</strong>ic once or twice a week, andthat was the best gynecological experience I’ve had – itwas amaz<strong>in</strong>g! The physicians allowed me to be part of allof it: the breast exam, Pap smear, pelvic exam. It was agreat learn<strong>in</strong>g experience.”Set on different career paths, her classmates identifiedother strengths <strong>in</strong> the clerkship, from Omerovic’s observationthat this is where they focus on the basis of medic<strong>in</strong>e<strong>in</strong> an otherwise high-tech age, to Terzic’s encounters withpotential neurosurgery patients.“It’s useful to see the cases at primary care level, because<strong>in</strong> the sett<strong>in</strong>g of neurosurgery, you see patients whohave already been worked up and diagnosed,” said Terzic,who is pursu<strong>in</strong>g a career <strong>in</strong> the subspecialty.“I never previously got to see the trials of pa<strong>in</strong> medicationand physiotherapy done before that stage. Now I’veseen how people are referred to physio, and how they’vetried one pa<strong>in</strong> medication or another, and it br<strong>in</strong>gs moremean<strong>in</strong>g to the cases.”What they did not quite agree on was when best to dothe clerkship. Surgeon-to-be Omerovic said it would workvery well early <strong>in</strong> the third year, as a “gradual <strong>in</strong>troduction”to cl<strong>in</strong>ical practice.But K<strong>in</strong>g thought otherwise. “The clerkship is a wonderfulchance to pull together all the fields you have beento. For me, the best th<strong>in</strong>g was be<strong>in</strong>g able to apply myknowledge and almost take on the role of the physician.”In the attractive surround<strong>in</strong>gs of West Bay’s EducationCenter, which opened <strong>in</strong> November 2007, Dr. Al Bashwarwas look<strong>in</strong>g ahead, and ready to welcome any of themback: “I’d love to have a <strong>Weill</strong> <strong>Cornell</strong> graduate here as aresident. We saw them from the beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g and we knowhow good they are.”Summer/Fall <strong>2008</strong> 23
125 Another annual event, the <strong>in</strong>ternational night organizedby MSEC-Q on April 17, attracted an enthusiasticcrowd to the student lounge. In the program: A widevariety of cultural traditions, dress, cuis<strong>in</strong>e and humor,all reflect<strong>in</strong>g the <strong>in</strong>ternational flavor of theWCMC-Q community.1 The annual Employee Appreciation Event brought togetherthe WCMC-Q community on a f<strong>in</strong>e spr<strong>in</strong>g even<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong> April – with plenty of fun and games for the children, abarbecue, raffle, music and dance.2 Care <strong>in</strong> the community: Adam Khader ’10 was one ofmore than 30 WCMC-Q faculty and students who steppedup to help at a medical camp for low-<strong>in</strong>come workers organizedby the Indian <strong>Medical</strong> Association <strong>Qatar</strong> Chapterand the Indian Islamic Association <strong>Qatar</strong>, April 25.6 “We helped make it happen!”Dean Alonso, RanaBiary ’08, Sharon K<strong>in</strong>g ’08and Vice Dean Idriss cut thecelebration cake for facultyand staff on <strong>Graduation</strong> Day,May 8.43 First held <strong>in</strong> fall 2004, WCMC-Q’s coffee houses have gonefrom strength to strength. Showcas<strong>in</strong>g the many and variedtalents of the community – not only at the <strong>Medical</strong> <strong>College</strong>,but across the Education City campus – the spr<strong>in</strong>g ’08 coffeehouse featured music, dance and comedy.34 <strong>Qatar</strong> Foundation Dist<strong>in</strong>guished Lecture Series, <strong>2008</strong>:Nobel Laureate Professor Ferid Murad, from the Instituteof Molecular Medic<strong>in</strong>e, University of Texas at HoustonHealth Science Center, delivered a lecture on the Discoveryof nitric oxide and cyclic GMP <strong>in</strong> cell signal<strong>in</strong>g and their role<strong>in</strong> drug development at WCMC-Q on May 4.5624 <strong>Qatar</strong> Chronicle
www.qatar-med.cornell.edu
www.qatar-med.cornell.edu<strong>Weill</strong> <strong>Cornell</strong> <strong>Medical</strong> <strong>College</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Qatar</strong> was jo<strong>in</strong>tly established bythe <strong>Qatar</strong> Foundation for Education, Science and Community Developmentand <strong>Cornell</strong> University